Tahiti’s Tauhiti Keck New Zealand’s Tyler Bindon.
Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Photosport
The fight for Oceania’s representative at the 2026 FIFA World Cup starts in September, with the winner gaining automatic qualification.
Four nations each have been drawn into two pools each, with the qualification played over three rounds each.
Group A has Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea, while Group B comprises New Zealand, Tahiti, Vanuatu and the round one winner.
For the first time, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has a direct slot for the FIFA World Cup, with an additional berth available via the FIFA Intercontinental Play-off Tournament.
The second round features two groups of four nations, with each nation facing each other once in matches played in October and November, 2024. The top two in each group then progress to the decisive third round, set to played in March, 2025.
The third round winner progresses directly to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the runners-up secure an Intercontinental Play-off Tournament berth.
Of the region’s current members, only New Zealand has previously appeared at a World Cup, in 1982 and 2010.
The Solomon Islands were the other top seed for the draw and they headline Group A, which also features Fiji, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea.
Round one
Meanwhile, Tonga’s national men’s soccer team will kick off their campaign for a World Cup spot at the Oceania Preliminary Qualifying in September.
Tonga is scheduled to meet Samoa, American Samoa, and Cook Islands in a round one preliminary qualifier in Apia.
Tonga Football said they were excited about the opportunity to fight for a spot at the 2026 World Cup.
The winner will then join New Zealand, Tahiti, and Vanuatu in Group B of the Oceania qualifiers, which will kick off in October.
Oceania’s winner will qualify direct for the world event while the runner-up will have another shot at qualification through an inter-continental knockout competition.
Source link : https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/522798/oceania-s-path-to-2026-fifa-world-cup-kicks-off-in-september
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Publish date : 2024-07-22 00:10:17
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